information about kalimantan

i want to go to kalimantan next summer for one month .do you know how to connect it from europe ? and have anyone informations about travelling there and the budget and good places to visit on it
thanks for your answer
fleur en voyage

From Europe, you can simply fly to one of the major transit hubs first for either Indonesia or Malaysia. (KL, Singapore, Jakarta). Whichever one is cheapest. Then travel overland or get a cheap flight to a more convenient jumping off point.

From Indonesia you can get numerous flights and boats to Kalimantan, leaving from Java or Sulawesi (as opposed to Jakarta) is usually easier/more frequent in my experience. Check out any of the budget airlines (AirAsia, Tiger air, etc) flying from these regions and going to Kalimantan). Go to any port and there are numerous operators/passenger ships vying for your business. Bear in mind it was a couple of years ago since I was in Borneo, and there was a fair amount of competition/choice then, and this was increasing all the time (which probably accounts for the greater number of backpackers there now). So you shouldn’t have any trouble.

If you are in Malaysian Borneo first, there is a land border crossing between Sarawak (get to Kuching first and then organise transport) and Kalimantan, or you can get a boat from Tawau in Sabah to East Kalimantan, I’m sorry I can’t remember off the top of my head the name of the town you land in)!

Budget wise it is still on the whole quite cheap, probably half way between Indonesian and Malaysian costs. Guides and organised treks cost a lot still. Ensure you have your visa sorted out first! Some nations do require a Visa.

Hope this helps? I know it was pretty generalised, but if you need more specific advice please don’t hesitate to ask.

thank’s much for your answer. do you know maybe good places to spend some time around and places for snorkleling as well. i will have one month from the 20th july till the 20 august and travel alone and can speak basic indonésian; i’ve already travelled in indonésia a few times in differents islands (thelast one was sumba and back to flores)
bye and good time wherever you are
fleur en voyage

Sure, I’m assuming you would rather try somewhere new then if you have been to Indonesia a few times? Sipadan in Sabah is outstanding for snorkelling/diving. If you want to rest and relax before you head into Kalimantan, Kuching is a great little place to spend a few days and unwind, plus there are so many great national parks in the area for hiking. Singapore is fantastic too …

If you give me an idea of which side you would prefer to enter kalimantan from I might be able to make more specific recommendations?

thanks. i think i will go to singapour from europe and try to get a connecting flight would be the best.
my way to travel is not in a hurry and like to spend a few days everytime i get to a place, to visit around and take the atmosphere . my moving is also depending on the time taken for travelling and the way (bus, boat or ? ) and the budget for sure. i’m travelling alone so i’ll reach public transport.
so maybe i’ll do long distance and then stop
the west part seems to be much interesting but with non place for snorkelling as it seems, the gogod places seem to be on the east part
kuching ,as you suggest ,can be a good idea . it’s in malaysian part , os needs to visas , no ?

You have a good way of travelling, I tend to do the same, travelling slowly and taking my time exploring each new place.

Singapore, Sarawak and then onto Kalimantan is a good route, I’ve done it myself. Singapore is a great city, easy to spend a week in, if expensive. But it is also a major travel hub so air asia flights to Borneo are pretty regular and cheap.

Don’t dismiss Sarawak so quickly though, in my personal opinion it is a lot better than Sabah, which is very well set up for tourism and tour groups, not my thing. Not that Sabah is bad, I just personally prefer Sarawak, and Kuching is a great little city.

As for visas, that depends where you are from. I’m guessing from your handle you are French? In which case – very similar to the UK – you should have a months visa on arrival in Singapore, 3 months in Malaysia on arrival and 1 month in Sarawak (again on arrival). I’m not sure off the top of my head if the French need visa permits for Kalimantan, you’d have to check on that. If you aren’t French you may have to look up the requirements yourself.

thanks . i don’ t really to stay in Singapour , because i ‘ve just got 4 weeks travelling and been a long time ago in Singapour and was not my favorite.i’ll try to get a connecting flight from Singapour, which may be not so simple….but yes, good idea , spending a few days in sarawak area as you advise , staying in Kuching or ? and look around there before going to kalimantan, which needs to get my visa before because i will enter by land .

and then going on in the west part or, dépends what could be interessant and keeping a few days in a place where i can be around sea side for snorkelling as i told you before.
have you been on the west and east sides ? .
do you know about the budget in Malaysia compared to indonesia and also the way (bus, flight, boat) and the time from one point to another. i remember so long time travelling and waiting for the bus to be full in flores for instance…the best thing is that it’s gonna be out of monsoon.